1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video games, and more particularly to a mobile terminal, a method for controlling games, and a computer readable recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, portable game machines have sprung into widespread use, with which one can enjoy playing video games without being limited by place or time. Some recent portable electronic devices such as portable telephone sets, PHS (Personal Handy-phone System), electronic notebooks, and notebook personal computers have a game function in addition to the functions that the electronic devices originally have. Portable game machines and these electronic devices are small and transportable, so that the user can use these devices at various places.
There is a technique, disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 322775, published in 1998, which addresses the fact that the device can be used at various places and allows the positional information of the device to be acquired and used to control the device. This publication describes a control technique of an electronic device that receives base station identification signals transmitted from controlling base stations in response to incoming and outgoing calls to count the signals and displays character images of imaginary living bodies or creatures, which are different depending on the base station identification signal, when the result of the counting has reached a predetermined value. By this method, character images of the imaginary living bodies or creatures, which are different from one another depending on the area that the base stations control, can be displayed.
However, the method described in the aforementioned publication, only displays character images on a display screen, which are different from one another, depending on the area the base stations control, in accordance with the acquired positional information of the device. This method is not especially enjoyable as a game.
The present invention was developed in view of the aforementioned problems. Its object is to provide a mobile terminal, a method for controlling a game, and a computer readable recording medium, which can vary the progression of the game to be executed on the mobile terminal, in accordance with the current location of the mobile terminal.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a mobile terminal includes an input system that inputs data in response to a location of the mobile terminal, and a determining system that determines the location of the mobile terminal in accordance with the data input by the input system. The mobile terminal also includes a progress system that allows a game to proceed in response to the location determined by the determination system in a progression of the game to be executed in response to operation input; and a display that displays images in response to the progression of the game by the progress system.
In the first aspect of the present invention, the mobile terminal is characterized in that the data is base station identification information provided uniquely for each of a number of base stations, with which the mobile terminal carries out communications, and for identifying each base station.
In the first aspect of the present invention, the mobile terminal also includes a branch information storage that stores a correspondence relationship between a location and scenario branch information for branching a scenario progression of a game. The progress system branches the progression of the game in response to the scenario branch information stored in the branch information storage corresponding to the location determined by the determination system.
In the first aspect of the present invention, the mobile terminal also includes a character storage that stores a correspondence relationship between a location and one or more game characters. The progress system determines a game character to be displayed, from the one or more game characters stored in the character storage corresponding to the location that is determined by the determination system, to vary the progression of the game.
In the first aspect of the present invention, in which an item has an attribute for giving a variation to a game progression, the mobile terminal also includes an item storage that stores a correspondence relationship between a position and one or more items. The progress system determines an item to be displayed, from the one or more items stored in the item storage corresponding to the location determined by the determination system, to vary the progression of the game.
In the first aspect of the present invention, the mobile terminal also includes a data acquisition system that acquires programs and data of a game from another apparatus which can communicate with multiple base stations or each of the base stations. The progression system allows the game to proceed in accordance with programs and data of the game, which the data acquisition system has acquired.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a mobile terminal which can receive radio signals transmitted by each of the base stations includes a detector that detects radiowave reception intensity of radio signals transmitted by the base stations. The mobile terminal also includes a progress system that allows a game to proceed according to the radiowave reception intensity detected by the detector in the course of the progression of the game which is carried out in response to operation input; and a display that displays images in response to the progression of the game.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a game in a mobile terminal includes inputting data in response to a location of the mobile terminal; determining the location of the mobile terminal in accordance with the data input; allowing the game to proceed in response to the determined location in the course of the progression of the game to be carried out in response to operation input; and displaying images in response to the progression of the game.
In the third aspect of the present invention, the method for controlling the game is characterized in that the data is base station identification information provided uniquely for each of the base stations, with which the mobile terminal carries out communications, and for identifying each base station.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a game at a mobile terminal which can receive radio signals transmitted by each of a number of base stations includes detecting a radiowave reception intensity of radio signals transmitted by base stations; allowing the game to proceed according to the radiowave reception intensity detected in the course of the progression of the game which is carried out in response to operation input; and displaying images in response to the progression of the game.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a computer readable recording medium in which programs of a game to be executed on a mobile terminal are stored is characterized by storing programs for allowing a computer to: input data corresponding to a location of the mobile terminal; determine the location of the mobile terminal in accordance with the input data; carry out the game in response to the determined location in the progression of the game to be executed and in response to operation input; and display images according to the progression of the game.
In the fifth aspect of the present invention, the computer program stored in the computer readable recording medium is characterized in that the data is base station identification information provided uniquely for each of the base stations and for identifying each base station.
In the fifth aspect of the present invention, the computer program stored on the computer readable recording medium is also characterized in that, in a case where a game is allowed to proceed, progression of a scenario of the game is branched in accordance with scenario branch information stored beforehand corresponding to the location determined.
In the fifth aspect of the present invention, the computer program stored on the computer readable recording medium is further characterized in that, in a case where a game is allowed to proceed, a game character to be displayed is determined, from one or more game characters stored beforehand, corresponding to the determined location to vary the progression of the game.
In the fifth aspect of the present invention, the computer program stored on the computer readable recording medium is characterized in that, an item has an attribute for giving a variation to a game progression, and in a case where a game is allowed to proceed, an item to be displayed is determined, from one or more items stored beforehand, corresponding to the determined location to vary the progression of the game.
In the fifth aspect of the present invention, the computer program stored on the computer readable recording medium is further characterized in that, before a game is allowed to proceed, programs and data of the game are acquired from a base station or other apparatus which can communicate with the base station. In a case where the game is allowed to proceed, the game is allowed to proceed in accordance with the acquired programs and data of the game.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a computer readable recording medium in which programs of a game to be executed on a mobile terminal which can receive radio signals transmitted from each of a number of base stations are stored is characterized by storing the programs for allowing the computer to detect radiowave reception intensity of radio signals transmitted by the base stations. The computer also executes the game according to the radiowave reception intensity detected in the course of the progression of the game, which is carried out in response to operation input, and displays images in response to the progression of the game.